What we do

We find and destroy landmines, cluster munitions and unexploded bombs in places affected by conflict. Since 1989, we have helped over 18 million people in 68 countries rebuild their lives and livelihoods after war.

Nigeria landmine emergency

New MAG research shows casualties from landmines and unexploded bombs in northeast Nigeria have increased from 12 a month in 2016 to 19 a month in 201718 – that’s an average of one person killed or injured in the region every 1.5 days. This gives Nigeria one of the ten highest casualty rates for landmines in the world.

The situation people are facing here is dire, everyone I have met in Borno State has been affected in one way or the other – whether losing a family member, a friend, or a house.

MAG’s Community Liaison Manager in NigeriaAvishek Banskota

The main camp for displaced people in Ngala, Borno State, is called ‘International Camp’ which has more than 100,000 inhabitants, mostly living in makeshift shelters. Five girls were killed nearby when they triggered a landmine.

Kwandella fled Kartari village with her children: ”They came at night and started shooting and burning all the houses. Everyone lost someone. We can’t go home until we know it is safe."

People have to travel far into dangerous territory to find firewood and they are regularly attacked and abducted.

Amina Mohammed with her grandchildren and wives of her lost son: “My son, my first born, was killed and we fled from Marte, our village which is close to Maidaguri. We thought it would be safer here in Ngala but it has been difficult.”

Our community liaison team leader Naomi gives life-saving lessons involving games and drama to teach children about the dangers of landmines and how to avoid them.

Children in the IDP camp are very excited to receive MAG flyers containing puzzles and cartoons with messages around how to stay safe.

Children head out of the camp to collect water in Ngala.

Visit our Flickr gallery

A major regional conflict

Now in its ninth year, the fighting involving Boko Haram and national and international security forces has become a major regional conflict, increasing in intensity since 2014 and spreading to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

The impact on the civilian population has been grave, particularly in the states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. An estimated 7.7 million people including 4.3 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance. In Borno State 1.6 million remain internally displaced and close to 200,000 people have sought refuge in the neighbouring countries.

This has left north-east Nigeria contaminated with a range of explosive items including locally-produced landmines, unexploded bombs and improvised explosive devices. These pose a significant threat to the lives of people living in or moving through affected areas, as well as to humanitarian workers.

We need your voice

International crisis planning does not prioritise the response to new landmine use in Nigeria. Until it does children and families will remain in danger every day.

We must take action to change this.

We are writing to Kate Osamor, the Chair of the UK’s Parliamentary Group for Nigeria, asking her to make a statement in the House of Commons urgently calling for this new landmine crisis to be included as a humanitarian response priority by the international community.